Motor vehicle passing signal



y 20, 1952 c. J. HOPKINS ,597, 8

MOTOR VEHICLE PASSING SIGNAL Filed Jan. 22, 1951 TRANSLUCENT MEMEER s4 52 20 K B 52 I 22 I 48 47 a 45 2e 26 I f !II 'GELESTIN J. HOPKINS Ennentor Patented May 20, 1952 This present invention relates particularly to observation of the road ahead. Now :truckdrivers as a rule'have had a very enviable record for safe driving and itheyfiteas a whple very l r to prev n a dents whi h might v v their own vehicle. I t therefore has' become increasingly more common for truck drivers'to attempt to convey interpretable signals "by blinking their lights or otherwise so that 'an overtaking vehicle driver will understand that it i saf t p s .o b no so .dqiuguind gatige that it is not safe to pass.

It becomes ppa en that "t er i .a al need f r a unm st a le sienelinewiw t at wi command the attention qf the gvertalging ear riv r and d finitely con e a messa e .t 1 .1m-

u s em tshav b n ma e i .th res to supply equipment for this purpose. l lovtever those observed have been characterizedjrb iheir b which ma e i d f ul "t insta .i em'tii an optimum positionona vehicleand ;the complexity of the same involving usually a large number of light bulbs has been such that jto date such devices have not met with general acceptance. It is to overcome the deficiencies of the signaling devices noted inthe past that- I have provided my simplified signaling arrangement.

The principal object of mypresent inven tion therefore is to provide an electricallyenergized signaling device which; is characterized -by=a-guery compact structure that can be built-'eeonomiprovide a clear word indicationYthat-it' is sa fe to pass or a Word indication that-ibis unsafe to pass.

A further object of myjnventionisz-to-p10- 2 signal :for .saie passage issilluminated by a reco :niz'edsafe .color as green and 'the word indicating it :unsafe :to pass is illuminated by red as a ;:further cautionary measure.

A durther object of .my .present invention i .lIQgPl'QYidE an electrically lighted signaling de- .vice-in which the .word signal displayed is illuminated by-a pulsating .or intermittent current .soithata :flashingof thesignal is provided ,which liniturn assures :the greatest possible certainty .of zit being observed, by a following can 'jFur-ther .objects, advantages and capabilities will z beiapparent :from ;,the description and dis- .closure in the. drawingsprmaybe. comprehended or-arerainherent ;in;the device.

:Inthe drawings:

Figure 1 is a bracketed, exploded viewinperispeetiue showing the .various elements making up. .my. signaling :device, certain parts being ibrokenzawayandshown in'section;

.Figure 2 is --a :horizontal sectional yiew taken :thrqughithe:longitudinal axisof my signal lamp;

:Figure is .a diagrammatic wiring diagram of electric circuit .used .with my signaling .de-

Reterring more particularly .to :the disclosure -inrthe. drawings. the numeral :l-llgener-ally designates theimainzhousing of my signaling device.

I prefer to form asa single drawnnnitlhav- :ing lthezbase-portion 12 and an outstanding wall iportion. $114 .shaped generally oblong .with the .major axis ;in horizontal plane. At'ieach end a pronounced curve is preferred to the end that ;the.device .will :be .easily installed and have the lminimum :tendency :to entangle or to provide a .lodgment tfor .foreign materials. The housing .may-be.made of anysuitable material and-has one basic requirement that'it be opaque. -Vertically disposed -within housinglll is a fixed :baflledt subdividing-the closed back wan 42 or the housing into two equal parts. -This ba-flie -may-be welded to the-housing if it is formed of steel-orbrazed orpemented thereto-if-from (ither materials. If the housingis molded fthe-balile wouldpreferaloly be formed as afunitwith the u ting Disposed equidistant from baflie [6 are electric light q seis ;l8-.- l 1 .eec p ed t receive a colorless light globe 22 or 23. To in :sure .proper iu-nctioning -of my signaling device, battle t6 should eigtend outwardly-from face l'2 further than A the outermost part of light globes -22 and -2;3 for reasons which will be ekplained under theoperationof this device.

v an l c ic igna ing de ic in which-tile .415 :Adaniedi iqrman en i mg o r-r r housing 3 l 8 is the bezel member 24. This member should also be of opaque material preferably of the same material as the housing and be secured thereto after the showing of Figure 2 by a plurality of screws 26. Adapted to be secured in place by member 24 is a translucent diffusing plate 28. This plate may be preferably pierced with openings 38 so that it may be held in position by a plurality of screws 32. Disposed preferably in plane engagement with plate 28 is a mask member 34 and to this end the center portion of mask 34 is pierced with holes 36 adapted to engage the threaded portions of screws 32. In this manner the bezel 24, the diffusing plate 28 and mask 34 are held together as a unit and may be removed as a unit from the signaling device by the removal of screws 26. A preferred construction of mask 34 is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 in which the mask consists essentially of three portions which are welded or otherwise secured in fixed relationship, each of the portions having a vertical plane surface which lies in a common plane and each of which is pierced to form a letter. In the preferred form, the letters are NOK, the 0 being used in combination with the N to produce the word NO or in combination with the letter K to produce the colloquialism OK. In order to form an effective mask and form the letters when light is passed therethrough, the mask must of necessity be made of opaque material. same also is true of the two inwardly directed walls or baflles 38 and 39, secured to the mask,

which terminate in outwardly directed lugs 44 and 42 disposed one on each margin of each bafiie. These lugs are pierced to accept the threaded portions of screws 44 and 45.

Secured to lugs 4| and 42 by means of two each of screws 44 and 45 are the substantially transparent filters 41 and 48. These filters are pierced with holes 50 to receive screws 44 and 45 and when so seated on two lugs 41 and two lugs 42 the filters should lie in a plane parallel to the plane of the front surface of the mask. Following the showing of parts of Figures 1 and 2, filter 41 which will control the color of the light passing through the letter N of the mask and selectively through the 0 should preferably be red as it indicates a warning. Filter 48 on the other hand should preferably be green or any other color which may be accepted as indicating safe bolts 52, and means should be provided for leading out the current supplying wires 53 and 54 with means further provided for the connecting of the current return line to the chassis ground of the vehicle. If that is not convenient then a third wire, which can be led to a ground or to the battery, will of necessity have to be used.

Method of operation The s;

In using my signaling device the same is asrent in passing from the battery to the threeway switch 56, passes through a heat-responsive device 62 commonly referred to as a blinker which will cause a pulsation of the current when the circuit is completed so that the light emitted by globes 22 or 23 will be pulsating or flashing. These blinker devices are well known on the market and any one of several types manufactured will be suitable if it is adapted to the voltage of battery B. Switch 56 should be of the general type quite commonly used for direction signaling on cars and consists of the spaced contact points 58 and 59 with a switch arm 60, formed as a lever, that may be operated by the hand to selectively contact either post 58 or 59. Such switches as are now in common use are spring urged into the open position; and, while this arrangement is not mandatory, it is the most satisfactory way of only giving signals when desired and never giving a false signal. If switch arm 60 contacts post 58 light 23 will be illuminated. This will cause the illumination of the letters N and O and the light passing through the mask 34 will be colored by filter 41 in this case preferably red. At the same time baffle l6 and baflie 39 prevent any of the light illuminating the letter K. This arrangement is indicated to a degree by the dashed rays radiating out from globe 23 as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings.

'On the other hand, if lever 60 is moved so that contact is made with switch point 59, light globe 22 will be energized and light will pass through preferably a green filter 48 then out through the mask portion having the letters 0 and K. Extraneous light will be prevented from reaching the mask letter N" by the central baflle l6 and the second baffle 38. Attention is directed to the fact that first baffle 38 and second baflle 39 should preferably be disposed in the same plane as the filaments of light bulbs 23 and 22 respectively, after the showing of Figure 2, so that there will be a minimum masking of light by the baflles.

Now in use, with this device applied to the rear end of a truck for instance, the driver of the truck instead of having to rely upon makeshift signaling that may be misunderstood can now definitely illuminate either the NO or the "OK" at will. Then to further insure that the automobile driver will understand that the signal is meant for him, the signal will normally be applied only when the truck driver, through the rear view mirrors, becomes aware of the fact that there is a car behind him. Then to distinguish this signaling devices illumination from the lights which are so generously applied to the back end of the trucks, mainly the marginal, outlining and clearance lights, the current passing through the blinker device 62 will draw atten tion to it and cause it to stand out from the other lights, and thus avoid confusion. As soon as the overtaking car has started to pass the truck, the truck driver can release switch lever 60 which would then be automatically returned to the open position and the signal would no longer be operative as it will have served its purpose.

Throughout this specification this device has been described as associated with an automobile or truck, however, this is to be understood as only an exemplary showing of a preferred embodiment of the invention; the invention is useful in many other fields and various changes may be desirable in the structure used to meet the conditions encountered.

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

1. A traffic signaling device to be secured at the rear of a vehicle, comprising: a housing having a flat base portion and a wall portion outstanding from said base portion, said wall portion having an oblong outline with rounded ends in cross-section taken in a plane parallel to said base; a central baflie extending from said base and dividing said wall portion into two compartments disposed side by side; a first colorless light bulb centrally positioned in one or" said compartments and a second colorless light bulb centrally positioned in the other of said compartments; a bezel member positioned on the outer end of said wall portion and secured thereto, said bezel member having an oblong opening therein with each end portion disposed above one of said compartments; a stencil member positioned inside of said bezel member having openings therein forming the letters N and K at either end, each aligned with one of said compartments, and the letter O disposed in between; a translucent diffusing plate positioned between said bezel member and said stencil member; said bezel member, stencil member and diffusing plate being secured together; a first baffle secured to said stencil member between said N and said O and extending toward said first light bulb and a second bafile secured to said stencil member between said K and said 0" and extending toward said second light bulb; a filter member secured to said first baflle and disposed parallel to said stencil member and colored red; and a filter member secured to said second baiile and disposed parallel to said stencil member and colored green; said first, second and central bafiles and said filters being disposed so that light passing from said first bulb illuminates only said letters N and 0" and is colored red and so that light passing from said second bulb illuminates only said letters 0" and K and is colored green.

2. A traffic signaling device, comprising: a housing having a base portion and a wall portion outstanding from said base portion; a central bafile extending from said base and dividing said wall portion into two compartments disposed side by side; a first colorless light bulb positioned in one of said compartments and a second colorless light bulb positioned in the other of said compartments; a stencil member positioned at the outer end of said wall portion having openings therein forming the letters N and K at either end, each aligned with one of said compartments, and the letter O disposed in between; a first baflle member positioned in said housing and extending from said stencil member between said N and said 0 toward said first light bulb, and a second baflie member positioned in said housing and extending from said stencil member between said K and said 0 toward said second light bulb; a filter member disposed between the end of said first baiiie member and said first light bulb and colored red; and a filter member disposed between the end of said second baffle member and said second light bulb and colored green; said first, second and central bafiles and said filters being disposed so that light passing from said first bulb illuminates only said letters N and O and is colored red and so that light passing from said second bulb illuminates only said letters 0 and K and is colored green.

3. A traffic signaling device, compnsing: an oblong housing having a flat base portion and a wall portion outstanding from said base portion; a first light bulb and a second light bulb operatively positioned in spaced relationship in said housing and disposed on the longitudinal axis of the same; a central opaque baffle secured to said base, between said light globes, on the transverse axis of said housing, dividing the housing into two equal compartments, and extending outwardly from said base just beyond the outer extent of said light globes; a stencil member positioned at the outer end of said wall portion having openings therein forming the letters N and K at either end and the letter O disposed in between; a first baflle member positioned in said housing and extending from said stencil member between said N and said 0 toward said first light bulb and substantially on the longitudinal axis of said light bulb, and

a second baffle member positioned in said housing and extending from said stencil member, between said K and said 0, toward said second light bulb and substantially on the longitudinal axis of said second light bulb; means for coloring the light output of said first light bulb a color used to indicate danger; means for coloring the light output of said second light bulb a color used to indicate safety; said first, second and central bailles and said means for coloring the light output being disposed so that light passing from said first bulb illuminates only the letters N and O and is colored a color indicating danger and so that light passing from said second bulb illuminates only said letters 0 and K and is colored a color indicating safety.

l. A trafiic signaling device, comprising: a housing having a base portion and a wall por tion outstanding from said base portion; a central bafile extending from said base and dividing said wall portion into two compartments disposed side by side; a first light bulb positioned in one of said compartments and a second light bulb positioned in the other of said compartments; a letter forming member positioned at the outer end of said wall portion and having a first portion opposite said first bulb, a second portion opposite said second bulb, and a third portion opposite said central bafiie, said letter forming member having light obstructing means forming, when light passes through said first, second and third portions, the letter N in said first portion, the letter K in said second portion, and the letter O in said third portion; a first bafiie member positioned in said housing and extending from said lettered member between said first portion and said third portion toward said base portion, and a second bafiie member positioned in said housing and extending from said lettered member between said second portion and said third portion toward said base portion; said first, second and central bafiies being disposed so that light passing from said first bulb illuminates only said first and said third portions and so that light passing from said second bulb illuminates only said second and said third portions.

CELES'IIN J. HOPKINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,044,300 Heans June 16, 1936 2,464,535 Smith, Jr. Mar. 15, 1949 2,483,687 Wisuri Oct. 4, 1949 

